


I've Got A Proposal For You

by canthelpmyselves



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, OFC-child - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 15:26:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15888789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Len needs help and there's only one person he can turn to. Hopefully Barry can look past the kidnapping part and focus on the problem at hand.





	I've Got A Proposal For You

Barry stopped struggling against the ice cold ropes tying his arms and legs to the chair and looked at Cold with disbelief. “Umm, could you repeat that?”

Len flicked at an imaginary piece of lint and huffed. “You and I should get married,” he said in his customary drawl.

Barry stared at him for a full ten seconds before a snicker escaped his throat. It was soon followed by another, and then another before turning into loud, continuous laughter. By the time Barry managed to get control of himself again, he was weakly slumped forward in the chair, his ribs aching and his eyes burning from the tears. 

“Okay, jokes over,” he gasped between breathes. “Untie me, Cold.”

Len’s jaw tightened momentarily before he gave Mick a nod. The pyro rolled over a large bulletin board covered in a sheet. Len swept the sheet off with a dramatic flourish and stepped to the side.

Barry’s eyes widened as he stared at it. “You... you... put together a presentation???”

Len smirked and tapped a long wooden pointer at the upper left corner. “Pros and cons,” he said imperiously. “I’m a very good thief, which means I have amassed a fair amount of wealth, so money would never be a problem.”

“Except for the thief part,” Barry argued.

Len chose to ignore the outburst and continue. “I’m in excellent health, monogamous, a good cook, and I’m willing to overlook your do-gooder tendencies. On the con side, I’m possessive by nature, so you’ll just have to deal with that. I won’t give up my career...”

“Thievery is not a career,” Barry grumbled.

Again, Len ignored him. “Also, Lisa will probably stay with us on occasion. Mick has said he’ll find his own place near us. It’s a short list, as I tried to stick to the more relevant points. In essence, I’m just a really good catch.” 

“And very modest, too,” Barry said in a snarky tone.

Len moved the pointer to the upper right side, a slight tightening around the eyes his only reaction to Barry’s third interruption. “As for you, you are young, also in excellent health, have a steady job, intelligence, and some fascinating powers. For the cons, I focused more on external factors.”

“External?” Barry frowned. “Are you talking about my looks? I’ll admit I’m no GQ model, but I’m not a troll, either!” he objected vehemently.

Len eyed him up and down with a smirk. “Fishing for compliments, Scarlet?” Barry blushed and sputtered. “No worries,” Len said in a huskier tone. “I find you very attractive. No, by external, I mean your foster father is a cop. Not exactly what one wants in an in-law. There’s your foster sister to deal with, too.”

Barry sucked in a shaky breath. “You can’t kill Iris! She’s my best friend!”

“I mean you’re little crush,” the thief growled. He paused and eyed Barry closely. “You are over that, correct? After all, you did date Parks and Spivot. Also you had that brief affair with Earth-2 Wells.”

Barry’s fading blush returned full force and his mouth dropped open. “WHAT?! I did not!”

Len and Mick both snorted. “Barry, Barry, Barry,” he sighed in a long-suffering tone, “Shall I show you my copies of the hotel register from last November? You and Wells visited that pay-by-the-hour place on 19th street five times.”

“Not for sex!” Barry shouted. “It was for Cisco!”

Len’s eyes widened and even Mick looked a bit shocked. “Maybe I should be questioning your ability to be monogamous,” Len mumbled.

“Eww!” Barry flinched at the images that conjured up. “No, you jackass! Cisco has every inch of the labs wired for video and sound! We couldn’t meet at Joe’s because Iris is nosy and easily bribed with blueberry muffins! We met at the motel so we could put together his Christmas present without him finding out! We built him a customized entertainment unit, which holds over 100 of his favorite movies, the entire runs of his twenty favorite TV shows and 70 hours of his favorite music. It can play for 300 hours before it needs to recharge and it’s the size of smart phone for easy transport!”

Len blinked several times. Mick whistled softly and muttered ‘would like one of those myself’ under his breath. “Oh,” Len finally said. He opened his mouth, paused and then frowned. “Then I suppose I should ask if you are open to a same sex relationship.”

Barry gritted his teeth and tried again to phase out of the ropes. “I’m bi,” he admitted. “Not that it’s any of your business!” He was surprised by the flicker of relief in Cold’s eyes.

“Okay, then,” Len said. “Back to my original point. Your foster sister. Still pining? Yes? No?”

“Uggh!” Barry groaned. “No! She’s my best friend, okay! I love her, but I’m not in love with her!”

“Excellent,” Len grinned, turning back to the board. “Next, your previously mentioned do-gooder tendencies. You have an appallingly bad habit of being impulsive and not planning ahead. However, I think that with my influence, we can turn this from a con into, at the very least, a non-issue.”

“I hate you so much,” Barry muttered, closing his eyes to try and stave off a headache.

“Save that for after the honeymoon phase,” Len suggested. He moved the pointer to the lower left side. “Our deal will remain in place, and I’ll limit my heists in Central to twice a year, with an option for a third if there is something truly exceptional for the taking. I’m even willing to put that in the marriage vows if you want, right after the part about ‘in sickness and in health’.”

“Why are you doing this?” Barry groaned, tugging at his thawing ropes again. He was too tired and hungry to phase, much as he wanted to.

Len rolled his eyes and pointed to a small colored graph. “As you can see here, I’ve charted our encounters over the last two years. Since we struck our deal, my opportunities for puns has increased by 73%. Also, your success rate for capturing lesser criminals than me has increased by 57% thanks to the practice you get with my Rogues. In other words, we make one another better. As you can see here in this chart, the amount of banter between us has increased with each successive battle by 11-18%. That indicates our level of comfort and familiarity is growing.”

“Brain freeze. It’s gotta be,” Barry muttered.

Len huffed and motioned to a row of papers pinned to the bottom frame. “Now, I’ve already spoken to all of the Rogues. Each one has signed an agreement not to use your identity against you. Also, they have signed a formal contract that forbids killing or injuring innocents or police. I even had them notarized for your peace of mind.”

“Is this some new form of torture?” Barry asked Mick, who just shrugged as he flicked his lighter open and closed.

“Eyes on the board, Scarlet,” Len ordered. “Now, last but not least, living together. That’s non-optional. I won’t have my husband living with his foster father. I have several properties to chose from. Personally, I like my penthouse best. There’s a private roof access, so you could leave and enter without anyone seeing you in your suit. It has three bedrooms, a large kitchen, living room, family room, two baths, laundry room and an office. I also have a three bedroom house near the park, two apartments on the south side as well as several safe houses. Once we’re married and you’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement, I’ll give you the addresses.”

Barry glared at Cold fiercely. “I don’t know what the joke here is, but I’m not amused, Snart.”

“Oh, and that’s another thing,” Len added. “I’ll take your last name, but I’m still the dominate partner. Also, call me Len.”

Barry gawked for a couple of seconds. “Okay,” he finally said wearily. “This is insane! You don’t want to marry me! Have you been zapped by a meta? Fallen and gotten a concussion? Some sort of dare from Lisa? What are you up to?”

Len stared at Barry for a long moment, arms crossed over his chest. He glanced toward Mick who nodded and left the warehouse. Once the door was closed, Len walked over and knelt in front of Barry. “Would you believe that I am in love with you?” he asked curiously.

“No,” Barry snapped.

Len sighed softly and tapped his own cheek with his index finger. “Fine. I am a successful man by most standards. I am wealthy. I have power. I have fame. That last one is why you are here.” 

Len stood and stared at Barry for a moment before walking behind him and releasing the ropes. Barry sped across the room and rubbed his chaffed wrists with a sulking glare. Len slid his hands in his pants pockets, the line of his shoulders tense. 

“I also have a daughter,” Len said quietly. 

Barry’s mouth dropped open. “Y-you...wha...huh?”

“She’s three,” Len continued, looking a little self-conscious. “I didn’t know about her until a year ago. Her mom is gone and her aunt is fostering her, but she’s only doing it for the money. She provides my daughter with the bare minimum. I was sending money, until I found out that bitch was spending it on herself.” Len sort of hunched in on himself. “I tried to get custody, but every lawyer I’ve contacted said the same thing. No court is going to rule in favor of Captain Cold, even without a record anymore. The only chance I have of getting custody is if I can show I’ve reformed and I’m in a stable relationship. Married to a CSI fits the bill.”

Barry eyed him warily. “You have a daughter?”

Len huffed. “Yes, Scarlet. I have a daughter.”

“This is insane!” Barry yelled.

“I’m not hearing a ‘no’,” Len pointed out. He pulled out his wallet and removed a small photo from it and held it out. 

Barry, still looking suspicious, moved closer and took the photo. It was Len holding a small little girl. She had dark hair and big blue eyes. She had her arms wrapped around a little Wonder Woman doll and her head leaning against Len’s shoulder. His arms were wrapped tight around her waist and he was smiling in a way that Barry had never seen the normally smug criminal smile. There was no denying the little girl looked exactly like her father. 

“She’s my daughter,” Len said again. “I want... no, I need to have her in my life, Barry. She’s the only good thing I’ve ever done.” He swallowed hard, trying to remain stoic, but emotion was bleeding into his voice regardless. “She’s smart and sweet and she loves me. She calls me poppa. When I look in her eyes... nothing seems impossible. I love her, Barry. More than my own life, I love her,” he whispered. “Please. You’re the only chance I have at getting custody.”

Barry looked up at him and swallowed. “What’s her first name?”

Len took the photo back and returned it to his wallet. “Why just her first one?”

Barry sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I figure you’ll want her to have our last name.”

Len froze and looked at Barry, a small glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. “Our...”

Barry smiled softly and nodded.

Len closed his eyes tight as relief relaxed his entire body. “Cassidy,” he whispered. “Her name is Cassidy.”

***

Len watched from the doorway as Barry finished reading The Runaway Dinosaur to Cassie. She gave one final yawn before her eyes closed all the way and she relaxed into the bed. Barry smiled softly before leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead and turn off the lamp.

He stepped back into the hallway to let Barry out of the room, then he pulled the door mostly closed. Now that they were alone, he reached out to wrap an arm around Barry’s waist and pull him close. Barry smiled as he wrapped his arms around Len’s neck. He reached up with his free hand and cupped Barry’s cheek, relishing the way Barry leaned into the touch. 

The first few weeks of their marriage had been tense. Not only were they under intense scrutiny from Barry’s friends and family, but also from children’s services as they fought to gain custody of his daughter. Len could admit that there were a couple of times where he wondered if he hadn’t made a huge mistake in asking Barry to marry him. The way Barry shied away from him, the younger man’s reluctance to trust Len with just about everything, the near constant rejection of any sort of closeness or intimacy, even for something as simple as hand holding in front of case workers, made Len wonder if he hadn’t doomed them both to a life of unhappiness.

Then, one morning, a month into their marriage, Len had walked out of his bedroom and found Barry sitting at the kitchen table. When he pointed out Barry was going to be late for work, Barry told him he had taken the day off so they could ‘talk’. Len thought that was it. Barry was calling it quits. Instead, Barry had stunned him by standing up, walking over to him and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“I always promised myself that when I married, it would be forever,” Barry said tentatively. “I know this isn’t a love match. I don’t expect it to be. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone, either. I want a real marriage, Len. I’m tired of pretending this is only about your daughter. I’m tired of pretending I don’t want you. If... if you don’t want me, I’ll understand and I’ll never bring it up again.”

For several seconds he had been too shocked to respond. Barry had taken his silence as a rejection. He almost managed to get past Len and out of the penthouse before Len caught him and pushed him against the wall. Len then proceeded to kiss Barry with every ounce of pent-up lust and frustration inside him. 

They didn’t even make it to either of their bedrooms for their first time together. Luckily the couch was nearby. 

Once they recovered they had a long, awkward talk about what they each wanted. Both of them were surprised and relieved to find they actually wanted many of the same things. By nightfall Barry’s belongings were in Len’s room and Barry was in his bed. Now, eight months later, they had only slept apart once, when Cassie had an ear infection and fever so they took turns sitting by her side.

Len turned and pulled Barry into their room and closed the door behind them. He reached for Barry again, but was surprised when Barry took a step back and took a deep breath. “Scarlet? Something wrong?” he asked.

Barry shook his head and smiled shyly. “Len, I, um, you see...” Barry huffed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Okay,” he whispered to himself before squaring his shoulders and looking at Len. “I love you.”

Len sucked in a shaky breath. “What?”

Barry stepped forward and placed his hands on Len’s cheeks. “I love you,” he repeated gently. “I love Cassidy. I love our home. I love our marriage. I love you. Seeing you with her, the way you are always so protective of your rogues, even the way you won’t go to sleep until I’m home each night. I’ve always had a crush on you, but now I’ve fallen in love with you, Len. More than anything in this world, I. Love. You.”

Len wrapped his arms around Barry in a crushing hug. “God, Scarlet!” he burst out. “I love you, too! I’ve loved you for so long! I never thought… never dreamed you’d love me back!”

Barry laughed happily and began peppering Len’s face with tiny kisses. “Thank god! I was so scared to tell you!”

Len bent his knees and lifted Barry up to carry him to the bed. “I’m going to show you just how much,” he growled. “I’m going to make love to you all damn night, Scarlet.”

Barry laughed as Len pressed him into the mattress. “I can’t believe you love me,” he admitted. 

“Told you I did,” Len said, his attention on unbuttoning Barry’s shirt as quickly as possible.

“You never!” Barry objected, reaching for the button on Len’s jeans.

“Sure I did,” Len argued. “When I proposed.”

Barry’s jaw dropped and he momentarily forgot what he was doing. “What?! But… but that was… you weren’t serious!”

Len snorted, finally getting the shirt open so he could lick and kiss Barry’s stomach. “Was too. You just didn’t believe me.”

Barry grabbed Len’s arms and forced him to raise up so Barry could look him in the eye. “You loved me even then?” he asked with wonder.

Len smiled gently and nodded. “I’ve loved you since the time you pushed me against your fireplace. Even after I broke into your house and scared your sister, you trusted me. You believed in me. I knew then I was in love with you.” He lightly kissed Barry’s lips and smiled wider. “I don’t deserve you, Barry. I know that. But I love you and I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”

Barry grinned and pulled him down for a deeper kiss. “You already do, Len.”


End file.
